Umbilical Cord
by Dixie Dewdrop
Summary: Tony faces the unthinkable, a devastation he refuses to accept as he contemplates nature and nurture. This is part of my Fate scenario.
1. Bind

Bind

_Maria gazed down at the chaos below her and felt her heart swell with compassion. Someone must have gotten badly hurt, because people ran urgently towards a body in the middle of the road. _

_Maria changed her position a bit to see if she knew or had an acquaintance with anyone in the crowd, and then drew back in surprise as she recognized her own sister. _

_She pondered that identification for a while as she observed the frantic coming and going of the people. Maria wanted an answer, and also a response to the identity of the person whose shape she could discern lying on the warm pavement._

_A shrill siren signaled the arrival of the emergency response crew, and the crowd quickly separated to allow them through, gesturing and directing them to the spot. Maria took a good unobstructed look for the first time and realized she looked down at her own body. _

_She, Maria Osirio, was the victim around whom everyone revolved._

_Blood covered every inch of her and the street beneath her, and she saw that her sister, who had obviously raced to her aid, had huge splatters of red blood on her, as well. _

_Maria followed the crew as they carefully transported her to the gurney and then the ambulance and she pinched herself to see if she could feel the sensation. She did not._

_She decided then to move back to the top of the viewing area, and within a split second distinguished that she lay on a bed in the middle of a trauma examination room. She watched a bit as doctors and nurses worked over her frantically, and she listened for a time to the medical jargon and technical language they appeared to understand. _

_Suddenly, without warning, she felt herself almost dissolve, then smash back into her physical body._

Tony saw the note as soon as he got home and made his way into the kitchen, intent upon grabbing a Coke to drink. His dad had taped it to the refrigerator handle, knowing Tony would go there first once he returned from the picnic at the lake he had attended with Miguel, Emily, and several friends their age.

Reaching into the chilly interior, he grabbed the cold drink and took a long, refreshing swallow as he read the message. Like his father's speech, it contained no elaboration, just a directive to get to the hospital in Campeche at once. His Abuela had been hurt.

Tony began to run.

Snatching his car keys, he made it to Campeche within ten minutes, not certain what to expect and praying out loud. He had no idea of the circumstances, or his grandmother's condition. Without his cell, he felt stranded for information. His father had taken his phone to Campeche that very morning to buy a new battery for it, and planned to return it to Tony when he got home that evening.

He would know nothing until he got to the hospital, therefore, and that terrified him also.

He slid into a parking spot and hastily made his way into the emergency area. Forced to stop at the reception desk, he made inquiries in Spanish and was directed to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) area upstairs.

The receptionist watched him leave with regret, admiring his good looks. At six feet, one inch, Tony had an athlete's body, lean and muscular. Framed by long lashes, his green eyes lit his face. His hair, brown with blond highlights, was too long, according to his Marine dad, but much admired by the ladies. He caused heads to turn.

Tony had graduated from college, from Ohio State, just two weeks before.

His grandmother had cried when he walked across the stage and took hold of the diploma he had earned.

Tony shook his head, afraid that he would get emotional. He had to think, and to assess, and to get to his abuela. She needed him now.

The first wave of cold, paralyzing fear slammed into him when the elevator doors opened and he emerged to find his Tia, cousins Lorenzo and Veronica, Ducky, and his Dad seated together in a semi circle, with Tia sobbing in broken gasps. He raced to the group, and when his aunt saw him she jumped up and grabbed him, trying to speak through spasms of tears. He held her close to him and looked at the others with a wave of panic, unsure as to what to think.

"Please, por favor, tell me- I want to see my Abuela. Donde- where is she?"

Ducky shook his head slightly and Lorenzo stood up and tugged Tony's arm. He attempted a smile, but Tony noticed that his cousin's eyes were red rimmed. "Come, sit, Primo, and let us tell you what we know."

Tony yanked his arm away and disentangled himself from his aunt, his heart pounding in sheer terror.

"No, I don't want to sit. I don't need to sit. I only want my Abuela! Quiero ver a su! Show me where she is so that I can see her!"

"Anthony, we need to tell you…." Ducky spoke carefully, trying to calm him.

Tony backed up further and started to turn, heading away from them to search for Maria.

"Son, stop-" Jethro directed, finally trusting himself to speak.

"No, I won't, Daddy, not until I see my Abuela!"

Gibbs sucked in a breath and responded sharply, knowing he had to get Tony's attention immediately. "I said stop, and that is what you had better do! Sit down in that chair right now and don't get up until I tell you that you can!"

It worked. Tony stood hesitantly, then silently obeyed, sliding into a cracked plastic seat next to his cousin Veronica and turning his full attention to his dad.

His father softened his voice and went to sit on the other side. Reaching up, he brushed back Tony's bangs softly and turned to address him. "A car hit her while she crossed the street, Tony. The guy came flying out of nowhere. She didn't have a chance to get to safety, to get herself out of the way."


	2. Connect

Connect

Lorenzo added in a clipped tone, "The impact threw her over the car and then onto the street."

"It looks like she has massive internal injuries," Ducky clarified, taking off his glasses and polishing them on his shirt sleeve.

Tony threw himself against the back of the chair, fear evident on his face. He licked his lips and addressed his aunt, still unable to absorb the cold facts. Hadn't today dawned a regular, ordinary day just like every other day?

"Tia, I thought that you and Abuela planned to eat out lunch and shop today. Abuela said that she wanted to find a new shirt and slacks for me to wear to Mass, and a suit for my upcoming job interviews."

Between sniffs, Tia replied. "Si, we needed to buy some spices, though, and the seller had his stand across from where we were. Maria lagged behind because she decided to buy some candles. El coche se salió de la nada. I had already made it when she started on the pavement, then the car just flew from nowhere!" She began to sob again, burying her face in her hands.

Gibbs intervened and spoke gently, but clearly. "Son, things are really serious for Maria. The doctors have spoken very candidly to us- in fact, they have invited Ducky to join them as their colleague. I'll let him tell you the details, what is going on medically, but for right now I want you to take a minute and just let this settle."

Tony bit the side of his lip and tried to do as his father requested. He rubbed his palms up and down the legs of his pants, trying to have something physical as a focus. Sheer terror washed over him in awful waves. His grandmother had been hurt, obviously badly, and it was serious enough that the entire family looked terrified, and bestowed compassionate, sympathetic, heartbroken looks upon him.

He rested his chin in his hands finally and focused upon Doctor Mallard. "Tell me, Ducky, please. I will stay calm now."

The older man nodded and met Tony's gaze. "The damage appears extensive, with internal bleeding and internal injuries. They have her in surgery as we speak."

Tony sucked in a breath and bit the side of his lip again. He met Ducky's empathetic look.

"Anthony, lad, a major concern exists that she might not wake up- her body was comatose when they got to the hospital, or that if she does, she will have brain damage. That risk is all too probable."

He had said it out loud, at last, and when he actually did, wails emerged from Tia and Veronica.

Tony's body just crumbled as he absorbed the news, and fighting a wave of utter panic that threatened to consume him, he turned and looked appealing at his father, "Daddy…."

The absolute worst moment for a parent comes about when he watches his child's heart break, and Jethro Gibbs reeled emotionally when Tony whispered for his daddy, in that way, and with that expression on his face. His little boy- grown man, now- wanted his father to intervene and to make it right for him, and Gibbs could not rise to the challenge and fix it for his son.

He reached over and rubbed Tony's cheek. "Son, we need to give the doctors a chance to tell us what we face here. Right now we just need to wait for an update."

"I want to go to her," Tony whispered. "I need to see her and tell her that I love her."

Tia patted his leg. "She's knows that, Si, Antonio. She knows how you feel about her. You are her baby, her bambino, and she loves her boy so mucho."

She began to cry softly again, and reached for a handful of tissues from the box on the side table.

A noise in the hall made them all turn to see the source. The Campeche police captain strode into the area and greeted the family, telling them that he wanted to bring them up to date on the investigation.

He stood respectfully, waiting a moment for the family to give him their attention. He recognized Tony, and Jethro, having dealt with both over a little foray Tony and his amigo Miguel had carried out as teenagers.

The family appeared devastated already. He cleared his throat and added more horrible details.

The man who had hit Maria had been driving after drinking, had been speeding, and didn't possess a valid license. The police had him behind bars, facing a long list of charges.

His audience shook their heads miserably. None of that could help Maria now.

They had no energy to focus on justice, or vengeance, at the present time. All of their thoughts, prayers, and concerns had to encompass Maria only.

The captain asked about Maria's condition and promised to keep them updated, after assuring them that he would be praying for Maria's recovery.

When he left, Ducky cleared his throat. "Well, we must wait patiently until the surgeon comes to speak to us. Right now only our prayers to guide the doctors can aid Maria, as she is in the skillful hands of the specialists here."

Silence descended upon the group, tense quiet that did little to calm their nerves. Tony leaned his head against the wall, and slouched in his chair with his jaw clenched. Never had it made a difference that Tony and Maria possessed no blood ties, because they were family, they were grandmother and grandson.

Everyone in the room hurt for him- ached for him. As much as they all loved Maria, Tony absolutely adored her, and she responded in kind. He was Maria's baby, her bambino, the joy of her life, her nieto, and he loved her as deeply as she loved him.

Lorenzo made a run to the cafeteria half an hour later and came back loaded with beverages for the waiting loved ones.

Gibbs sipped his coffee and watched his son, who remained frozen in place, lost in his own thoughts.

Finally, a nurse approached and told them she was there to summon Dr. Mallard. Tony sat upright then, watching intently as Ducky followed her down the tiled surgical corridor. He seemed calmer, probably because he knew the good doctor would share what he had learned upon his return.


	3. Fasten

Fasten

Time dragged, and conversations began and were subsequently abandoned as the loved ones retreated into their own musings. When Ducky finally appeared in the waiting area, everyone jumped up and surrounded him eagerly.

He ran a hand through his hair, and then began his discourse in his professional medical voice, turning as he spoke to include all of the listeners. "Maria is beyond critical, I'm afraid. At this point, the prospect that she will pull through is slim to none. Almost every internal organ has been damaged, and, as you know, her skull fractured. She is not responding to stimuli at this time, which means…." He stopped speaking for a second until he got himself under control. "That means that we should understand there is a real chance that there is no longer any brain activity."

Tia's gushing wails filled the room, and the others cringed at the primal reaction, which they understood all too well.

After an eternity, Lorenzo stood and consulted Dr. Mallard softly, "We may visit, yes?"

Ducky nodded, "Limited- only limited visits and visitors right now. After that, the visits can be assessed again."

_Maria felt herself float out of her body, her spiritual self separating with her physical persona and the sensation reminded her of the gauzy softness of cotton candy as it spun. She gracefully glided her way to the top of the room through soft, shimmery air. She scanned the ceiling's perimeter and saw a tunnel lit by a bright white light appear. Maria started towards it without reservation._

Tia and her family made the first trip, and everyone looked at Tony in confusion when he hung back and insisted that they go ahead of him. Because of his fragility they exchanged worried glances but didn't argue as they went ahead, leaving Ducky, Jethro, and Tony in the waiting area. Their return signaled that the others could take their place at the bedside. All of them planned to go home and return in the morning, having been told by the nurses that Maria needed a complete rest overnight with no one in accompaniment.

The other three made their way in softly and silently. Dr. Mallard headed straight to the foot of the patient's bed, where he picked up the medical chart and began analyzing the medical notes and interpreting and processing the technical jargon. Tony and Gibbs immediately moved to the bed, overwhelmed by the sight and sound of the tubes and machines and noises that stressed how badly Maria was hurt.

Tony rubbed his abuela's cheek softly and spoke soothingly as he kissed her gently. "Don't worry, Abuela mia, I am here now. Yo estoy aqui ahora. Su bebe esta con usted. Your baby is with you."

_Maria paused abruptly, and glanced down below. Why did her Bambino sound and look upset?_

Gibbs stepped back towards the windows, his mind and senses trying to process the scene as he prayed. His frustration paralyzed him. He worked as an investigator, an agent, a Marine, a man who saw the problem, attacked it, and subsequently righted the wrong. He was helpless here. Maria hardly ever even got sick, and yet here she lay fighting death before his eyes. For over twenty years she had worked beside him to bring up his son, and he thanked God for her every single day. Now he begged God to not take her from his child.

He glanced appraisingly at his son, who was leaning down over her and murmuring softly. Gibbs feared what Maria's death would do to Tony. Right now his heart could not handle his son's devastated look. Gibbs took a deep breath and went over to stand beside him, gently placing one arm over his shoulder.

Tony did not acknowledge him at all, but continued to speak softly to Maria, kissing the fingers of her hand as he did.

Ducky interrupted, announcing as he placed the chart back on the footboard, "We must depart now, gentlemen. She needs to rest, to give her body healing time. We can most definitely return in the morning."

He and Jethro moved thoughtfully towards the door, but Tony stayed frozen at Maria's side.

Gibbs spoke, "Son, come on now. We have used up the visiting time for this evening. We will return first thing tomorrow to be with her."

Tony turned towards him and shook his head, then attempted a small smile. "No, Dad, no, I'm not going to leave here."

_Maria glanced back at the light. The beam had intensified, and she desperately wanted to follow the illumination to its origin. Something held her in the room, though, making her hover in indecision._

"It is not a debate," Jethro responded soothingly but firmly, motioning towards the door. "You can return tomorrow, Tony. You heard Ducky. We will be back here then."

Ducky looked compassionately at the young man and intervened, "Anthony, come outside in the corridor and speak with us, how about it?"

Tony met his gaze, but did not move and did not respond.

"Tony, come here to me." Gibbs spoke in a low voice, deceptively low, but one that expected immediate compliance from his son.

Ducky frowned at his friend, but then waved Tony over to where he stood.

Tony walked uneasily to the two and stood attentively, his hands jammed into the pockets of his jeans.

"You can return in the morning, Anthony," Ducky reiterated, patting Tony on the back. "I know you will chomp at the bit to return."

Gibbs reached up and brushed back his son's bangs, then grinned and tousled his hair. "You need rest as well before you go back in to Maria. Tomorrow you'll have more energy and will have come to grips with the situation, to absorb what has happened."

He started to walk away then, confident that his son would fall in step with him.

Instead, Tony sucked in a breath and contradicted softly, "No, no sir."

Jethro stopped and regarded him with surprise. "No sir what?" his dad tried to clarify.

"I will not leave this hospital. You and Ducky go, Dad- that's fine. We will see you tomorrow, but I am staying right here with my abuela. I am not leaving."

Gibbs massaged the bridge of his nose and contradicted tiredly, "No, you are going to the house right now, which is what I have already told you to do."


	4. Secure

Secure

Tony did not back down, however. Moving deliberately to Jethro, he put a hand on his father's shoulder and squeezed it gently as he raised his voice slightly and elaborated.

"Dad, no, I will not- I have no intention of obeying you in this." Faltering a moment as his father's expression changed from confusion to anger, he took a deep breath before he continued in a firm voice. "I realize that my actions this evening are definitely disrespectful and disobedient and will accept the consequences for that. Go ahead with those consequences- that is fair. Take my car to punish me, or ground me, or even spank me- whatever, I honestly do not care what you decide because I have absolutely no intention of doing what you say tonight. Not tonight, Dad, I will not obey you tonight." The last words came out softly, and as more of a statement than as a plea.

Ducky's shock at Tony's insubordination made him quickly try to smooth the turbulent waters. "Jethro, I don't think it will harm the boy to spend the night here. Tomorrow we can assess the circumstances again."

Tony had not lost eye contact with his father, and the younger man gave him a half smile. "I love you, Dad- you already know that. You also know how much I love Abuela, and that I would do anything for her. All my life you've molded me to conduct myself with moral guidelines, to go to bed with a clear conscience. My abuela needs me now, and therefore, I am going to be right here for her. I really do not want to not respect you, Daddy, but can't you see that I can not obey you in this?"

Gibbs pinched the bridge of his nose and took several seconds to consider his son's perspective. Tony technically ranked as an adult, a young man completely capable of running his own life, without guidelines from his father any longer. Truthfully, his son was too old to spank, or restrict, or punish in any parental way. At the same time, the little boy had never grown out of Tony, reminiscent of the fictitious Peter Pan. That ingredient made Tony uniquely Tony. In addition, that important characteristic also served to bring out his father's paternal streak, and once activated, he meant to protect his child.

Finally he acquiesced, allowing his confidence in his son to matter more than his uncertainty. "All right, Tony, all right. You may stay tonight with my blessing. However, if I get back to this hospital tomorrow and find you haven't eaten, or that you haven't gotten any rest, I am sending you straight home. I will not entertain any discussion to the contrary. There will be no second chances for you. Is that perfectly clear?"

His child nodded, "I got it, Dad, and thank you." Putting his arms around his father he hugged him, then settled his body against him, finding comfort in the familiar sawdust and coffee smell, and the familiarity of his dad's strong embrace. Jethro kissed the top of his head and ran his hand up and down Tony's back, offering physical comfort and his support. He had nothing more to give him.

Ducky interrupted, "Let us make our departure, Jethro, so that we can get some rest ourselves."

Reluctantly, Jethro turned Tony loose and tapped him under the chin. When Tony met his gaze he smiled. "I am proud of you Anthony."

Tony grinned and stepped back.

Gibbs called out over his shoulder as he and Ducky made their way down the ICU corridor, "About that punishment, I will not think twice about doling out one if I get back here and find you've ignored my conditions. Don't think I don't mean that."

Tony grinned again, secure in his father's consistency. "I've got you, Dad!"

However, as soon as the door closed behind the men Tony realized that he needed his father. Yanking open the door, he slipped down the hall and caught up with Jethro and Ducky at the elevator. They looked surprised at his arrival after such a serious confrontation.

Tony tugged on his father's arm impatiently. "Dad, may I have some money?"

"Money for what?" Jethro looked confused, but reached towards his back pocket for his wallet.

"Like, money so I can get something to eat," he explained.

Jethro sighed heavily, "Where is your own money, Tony?"

"I don't have any. That's why you need to give me some." Tony flashed him a brilliant smile.

Ducky couldn't help laughing at the reasoning.

Gibbs turned an annoyed look at his friend before answering his child.

"You are a college graduate now, Son, and you should not need me to be your personal banker any longer," pointed out his father. "You need to get rid of that notion you have held for twenty two years that your money is yours alone, but your dad's money belongs to both you and me."

Tony puffed his lip out into a pout and muttered, "True, Daddy, but if you gave me an allowance I would not be bothering you right now."

"What? That doesn't even make sense, Tony," Jethro grumbled, pulling out his wallet and passing over some bills. Then he raised his eyebrows and added, "Don't spend any of that on junk."

"I wouldn't dream of it." Tony slid the bills into his pocket, grinned at his father, and walked softly back to his post.

Before the young man opened the door to the room, though, he stood at the picture window that gave the medical staff an observation point while they monitored and worked at their stations. His grandmother lay unmoving and unresponsive.

Tony studied her still figure and smiled to himself.

Maria, in truth, had no blood ties to him whatsoever. Yet she had been his abuela, his grandmother, for all of his life. His attachment to her mirrored her attachment to him.

He ran his hands through his hair and straightened his shoulders before slipping quietly into the room once again.

Then he was left alone with his grandmother in the growing darkness, musing and praying to the background noise of the medical equipment.


	5. Associate

Associate

_Maria watched her baby as he searched her face for- for something. He prayed out loud, and she nodded at the words and smiled to herself with satisfaction. That very prayer was one of the first that she had taught him as a toddler. _

_He brought her joy, had brought her joy for so many years._

_Maria frowned. Who would look after him when she left with the light? _

Every hour on the hour throughout the night nurses entered the room and performed several medical procedures, attempting to assess a change in the patient. None occurred. The machines and monitors continued to function, doing their part to keep Maria alive.

Tony left the room just once, to purchase a cup of coffee from the hospital's cafeteria. He returned within ten minutes and took his seat by the bed, sitting as he had before he left. He drifted off to sleep a couple of times, but would wake up in a panic within a half hour. The ICU rooms had no televisions, so for the most part Tony spent his waking hours whispering words of love and encouragement to Maria, thinking, and praying.

Ducky woke him the next morning.

The exhausted young man had dragged his chair sideways beside his abuela's bed around four, and had leaned his pounding head against the mattress for just a moment.

Tony ran his fingers through his hair as he stood and bent down to check Maria. There was no change. Stretching, he regarded Ducky sheepishly. "I didn't hear you come in here. I'm sorry."

The older man smiled sympathetically. "That much is obvious, lad."

Tony started towards the room's private bath, and the doctor called out a warning, "Anthony, your father will get here in just a couple of minutes. You know as well as I that he will want to make sure that you are all right- that he is satisfied that you are okay, before he agrees to having you stay any longer. My advice is to make yourself presentable quickly."

The younger man smiled gratefully, realizing as he shut the door that his dad, Marine or no, would probably always worry about him. He washed his face and smoothed down his hair, then helped himself to the hospital's complimentary toothpaste and toothbrush. Wincing at the strong antiseptic taste of the mouthwash, he reminded himself that beggars could not be choosers.

Jethro headed immediately to Maria's side when he entered the room, straightening her cover and pillow and trying to physically reassure himself that she still breathed. Satisfied, he sighed loudly.

Ducky looked up every now and then from her chart, obviously comparing the written medical notes to Maria's observable condition.

When Tony emerged from the bathroom five minutes later his father made a quick visual assessment before crooking a forefinger to motion him to his side. He threw an arm around his son's waist and the other around his shoulders, and then pulled the boy against his body, kissing the top of his child's head.

Tony moved into the embrace and nuzzled against his father's shoulder before assuring him in a muffled voice, "All's well, Dad."

Jethro finally pushed him back a bit to tilt up his chin and questioned, "Did you get any sleep?"

Tony tried to sound exasperated. "Of course I did. In fact, Ducky had to wake me when he got here."

"Hmmm….What about eating? Did you eat some supper last night after we left you?"

Tony hesitated. He did not want to lie outright. His father had always displayed some kind of sixth sense or something which he used to ascertain if Tony were telling the truth. Getting caught in a blatant lie, or even with the sins of omission or evasion, always ended badly for him. He thought quickly.

"What I need is a hearty breakfast." He grinned at his father, sidestepping the question altogether.

Ducky spoke decisively, "Lad, go downstairs and get something to eat straightaway. Jethro, you go as well. You two can catch up over some coffee. The doctors will begin rounds in a couple of minutes, and I want to consult with them."

Tony started to protest, but his father held up a forefinger and shook his head.

Sighing in defeat instead, he kissed his grandmother softly and told her he would return shortly.

He and Gibbs ran into Tia and Veronica at the elevator bank, and the newcomers followed them to the cafeteria. Lorenzo, they shared, had to get to his job, but would come in the afternoon the moment that he finished work. Tony escorted his Tia, keeping his arm around her shoulders and pulling out her chair when they claimed an empty table.

Something had shifted significantly in Tony's universe, had shaken the very foundation of the world as he knew it. The obvious modification certainly involved his grandmother's critical condition. However, a more subtle shift had taken place. For the first time that he had contradicted his father as an adult, already a rarity, his dad had acquiesced and allowed Tony to make his own decision. Further, Jethro had honored that choice. The feeling empowered him in a way, yet in another, it made him appreciate the burden his dad had shouldered all these years, as a single parent.

That understanding applied to his grandmother, as well. She had taken upon the task of molding him, and rearing him, and loving him into his adulthood.

Yet at the same time, he genuinely felt relief that his father sat across the booth from him, powerful and reliable. Tony looked at the strong, familiar planes of his dad's face and felt a rush of emotion overwhelm him. For those moments when Tony still needed him to take charge while Tony reverted into the comfort and safety of childish immaturity, Leroy Jethro Gibbs would look out for him.

Suddenly Tony realized that everyone at the table had turned to him. He had obviously been asked a question that he had failed to process. He grinned sheepishly at the others. "Lo siento, I am sorry, my mind had drifted far away."

The others smiled sympathetically. Jethro regarded him appraisingly from the opposite side of the table and Tony looked down quickly, pretending an interest in his eggs he did not really possess.


	6. Moor

Moor

Ducky stepped into the hall when he saw the group return and looked at them with a feeling of guilt. His news did not alleviate any of their fears. Maria still proved unresponsive, and the doctors wanted to test brain activity in forty eight hours. The physicians agreed that they thought her damage so extensive that there would be no recovery. The only positive note to her state was that the surgical repairs looked good.

Jethro grabbed Tony by the arm to prevent him from following when the others entered the ICU room.

"Dad, don't start," Tony directed, shaking his head and clenching his jaw. "I am not leaving my grandmother."

"Son," Gibbs responded, running his hand through his silvery grey hair. "I am staying this morning, so go back to the house and just return later. This is too much for you to handle all alone."

"No, it's not." Tony puffed his lip out into a pout and scowled, kicking at the floor tile with the toe of his shoe.

"I refuse to argue, Son, just…."

Tony interrupted, "You are the one arguing, Dad, and…"

Gibbs narrowed his eyes and turned Tony to face him. "Son, I am proud they you want to step up to the plate and that you have every intention of protecting your grandmother."

Tony peeped up at him and nodded, suspicious that his dad had not reprimanded him for the disrespect.

"However," Jethro promised, his voice sliding to his you-are-about-to-get-yourself-into-big-trouble-tone, "if you don't change your tone of voice at once I will change it for you."

Tony bit the corner of his lip but did not respond.

His father softened, and tapped him under the chin. "Ok, I realize that the problem is that we are upset, and we don't know what to do to help Maria. We can't make things go back to the way they were."

Tony nodded, then met his father's gaze honestly. "I'm so scared, Dad. I can not lose Abuela."

"I know. I'm scared, too." Gibbs pulled Tony over and hugged him, then explained. "However, you are my child, and my job is to watch out for you. That plays into all of this that we are confronting. If I think that it is too much for you, then that is going to be it- no discussion, and you will be sent home. Do you understand me?"

"Yes sir," his son responded, making a mental note to hide his fatigue when his father approached.

_Maria regarded the family. They spoke lovingly to her physical self, and she wanted to respond in some way, to acknowledge the love. The urge to go, though, intensified, and she turned and looked longingly at the light. She was ready._

As they joined the others at Maria's bedside Gibbs consoled himself with the thought that Tony would have to go home for a shower and change of clothes soon. Since babyhood Tony had spent a great deal of attention upon his wardrobe and personal appearance, and Jethro knew that his rumpled clothing would grate upon him soon. He brightened.

Ducky updated the medical matters for them with the clarification that nothing had changed.

Tony remained stationed on one side of Maria, his chair fixed so that he could hold one of her hands in his. The other visitors took turns on the other side.

Without warning an hour later, a cacophony of beeps and alarms burst from the monitors. Everyone jumped in shock as the door slammed open and medical professionals flew into the room. Ducky forced the visitors out into the hall, but they huddled transfixed at the window, witnessing the crisis and praying out loud. Even they could identify the heart monitor's lack of a discernible heartbeat.

_The tunnel felt and smelled like springtime and cape jasmine and Maria reached out her arms to embrace her new existence. A feeling of utter joy washed over her and she opened her eyes as widely as she could to take in the incredible beauty around her. Colors vibrated, beautiful harps whispered tranquil melodies, and white robed figures floated towards her, beckoning her to join them._

Tia and Veronica clung to Gibbs as they sobbed, but Tony pressed his forehead against the picture window, whispering prayers taught to him by his grandmother.

_A sudden blast of color burst in front of her and she felt herself yanked backwards at an unbelievable speed._

An eternity passed, in reality a quarter of an hour, before the crisis abated. Ducky told them the truth, that it had proved nearly impossible to restart Maria's heart. He could not offer a guarantee that she could resuscitate if a repeat incident occurred.

She remained critical.

She remained comatose.

The impact of Dr. Mallard's words triggered a physical effect upon the loved ones, and they seemed to collapse into themselves.

Tony pulled his cousin Veronica aside and the two spoke quietly for several minutes. The others regrouped and tentatively made plans to stay with Maria in shifts.

After lunch Veronica and Ducky left to return to the village.

Tia, Jethro, and Tony kept a terrified vigil around the bed. Conversation slowed to a trickle as each one dealt with the reality of Maria's situation. They took turns going to the cafeteria for coffee and snacks, not willing to risk leaving her all alone.

Late that afternoon Lorenzo joined them, arriving with an overnight bag for Tony. Gibbs realized that Tony had avoided a trip home by having gotten his cousin Veronica to pack a bag for him so that he would not have to return to the village. Thanks to Veronica, and then Lorenzo, Tony could stay put as he wished.

Gibbs looked around the room in frustration, worried that Tony now would exhaust himself at the hospital. At least some rest might have been in his future if he had to leave the hospital and go home. He glanced at his son and focused on the determined set of his jaw, combined with the gentle way he stroked Maria's hand as he held it.

_Maria smiled down at the Bambino. She had worked since his babyhood to have him grow into a good man. The qualities had always existed within him, and she had helped to mold them. He had not disappointed her._

Tony had risen to the occasion.


	7. Tether

Tether

Jethro massaged his temples and decided not to force the issue of home any longer. He would simply have to determine another way to assure that Tony got some rest. He could still supervise, but would have to adapt to his son's ingenuity and adopt a new strategy.

After supper Jethro and Lorenzo returned to the house. Tony had left the room to eat supper with his dad in the cafeteria, but he had perched nervously in his chair during the meal, afraid his father would forbid him to stay overnight. Gibbs did not, though, through sheer willpower, and Tony clung to him gratefully when he said his good bye.

The second night mirrored the first, but Tony began quizzing the medical professionals more thoroughly each time they entered the room, making them convey and interpret any change, no matter how minute. The rest of the vigil time he held onto Maria, determined that she would know she was not there alone. Though her eyes stayed closed he felt certain that she sensed his presence.

_Maria felt herself float in a transitional state. Between the light and reality, both avenues brought joy to her, and offered joy to her. She focused upon her beautiful baby and took in his fear and uncertainty and shook her head when she reminded herself that his upset came because of her._

_As he began quizzing the nurses about stimuli to aid in her waking, Maria wanted to pull him to her, clasp him, and hold him tightly. Despite the fact that he towered over her now, Antonio always saw himself as her baby. Maria smiled softly to herself. She saw him as her baby, too._

_One morning when he was around three they had taken a trip to the park, an outing he loved. She had kept a watchful eye over him as he raced around the play equipment, taking turns on each attraction. Her boy was beautiful, with gorgeous green eyes and long, dramatic lashes. His brown hair was streaked with blond and a bit longer than his father wanted. Jethro, however, had acquiesced to Maria on that issue. _

_Bambino's daredevil side scared her at times, because he had no fear in running further, climbing higher, or going faster- ever. That particular day he made it to the top of the slide and suddenly stood up._

"_Antonio! Sit down at once!" She had ordered firmly from her place on the bench._

"_Abuela, but I see…." He had tried to explain, talking and waving his arms excitedly._

_She cut him off, "If you do not sit down immediately we will leave the park and return home!"_

_He puffed his lip into a pout, but sat down then and slid to the bottom. When he landed he ran several yards to the edge of some bushes. She watched him bend down on his little legs and then pull at something so hard that it knocked him back on his rear end. He got back up and ran to her, then presented her with the pansy he had managed to obtain. _

_Grinning, he held it out. "I got this for you Abuela mia. I saw it from the top of the slide."_

_She grabbed him to her and kissed him over and over as she thanked him for the flower._

_When she finally turned him loose he looked at her sweetly. "When I get grown like Daddy I will marry you and keep you at my house with me, Abuela."_

_She had actually felt her eyes fill with tears at her little boy's innocent declaration._

_Maria came down a bit from the ceiling so that she could better see Tony's face. He looked exhausted- exhausted, but determined. He picked her hand up and kissed it, and Maria looked back again at the light, straddling indecision._

The minutes and hours crept agonizingly with no improvement, and he dozed fitfully.

Around two in the morning he went out into the corridor and paced its perimeter just for a quick mental and physical change while the duty nurse assessed his abuela's vitals.

He returned a tiny bit more invigorated and decided to shower and change while the hospital stayed tranquil and quiet. Hardly anyone travelled the corridors at this time.

Half an hour later he once again sat by Maria, speaking softly and recounting aloud his activities the last couple of days. Exhaustion overwhelmed him, but when he slept it lasted no longer than twenty minutes or so. He couldn't get the deeper sleep that his body craved because mentally he stayed terrified that she would slip from his grasp while he slept.

The next duty nurse to enter the room spoke to him gently, observing the way he dealt with Maria.

The woman smiled. "Are you the only grandchild? Eres tu el unico nieto?" She questioned him.

"Yes, the one and only- el unico," he confirmed, giving a small grin with his answer.

Adjusting the IV drip in Maria's arm, she smiled sweetly at him. "Surely you were spoiled and able to wrap her around your finger. Usted fue capaz de conseguir lo que queria."

Tony laughed in delight, the first real happiness he had enjoyed in several hours. "No, on the contrary she demands good behavior from me, even now. Ella exige un buen comportamiento."

Then he sheepishly added, "Yet, I know how to convince her to give me what I want, I confess, though sometimes I have to resort to pouting or out and out begging to obtain it."

The nurse shook her head in response and straightened the covers gently over Maria before she departed.

Tony leaned over Maria and kissed her cheek before settling back down into his chair. He propped his feet onto her bedside table and grabbed her hand, kissing it.

"Abuela, you have done a good job with me. I am quite the specimen."

He smiled, then rested his head on the chair back and closed his eyes, inviting memories to assail him.

He relived the time as a long ago scene unfolded in his reverie.

Tony spied the huge balloon the second he and Maria entered KMart, and he squirmed out of her grasp, his little legs racing towards it.

"I want this, I want this! Quiero que este!" he announced at the top of his three year old voice. "Get this balloon for me, Abuela, por favor!"

Reaching the display of balloons, he grabbed for the ribbon to secure it just as Maria caught up to him. Rather than tether the balloon, she snatched his hand and started back towards the shopping cart area determinedly.

"You know better than to run off and go without my permission, Bambino, and you will not get that balloon because you did so," she explained firmly.

Tony launched straight into a toddler meltdown, protesting loudly, "No, I want the balloon now, Abuela! Yo lo quiero!"


	8. Anchor

Anchor

With that, he threw himself down on the floor to sit crosslegged, with no intention of moving. A moment later he changed his mind and position, though. Seeming to melt, he lay down, puffing out his lip and moving his head from side to side, reminiscent of a disgruntled snow angel. He had practiced that pose a couple of times at home, but that floor had been carpeted. The tile proved a bit chilly.

He peeped up to make certain that his grandmother saw him.

Other shoppers watched, not for the behavior, but for the cherubic looking child. Even in the middle of a tantrum, Tony was an incredibly beautiful child, with long eyelashes framing green eyes, and brown hair streaked generously with blond.

Maria saw past his cute looks, however, and proved a formidable opponent. She began counting, slowly and emphatically, "Antonio, get up immediately. Uno,"

Tears began with that response, and he wailed, "Por favor, Abuela!"

"Dos," she continued, ignoring his pleas.

"I want the balloon! Abuela, I want it!" he insisted, raising his voice to guarantee a response.

"Tres," she concluded, and stooping down, she grabbed Tony and left the store as his screams turned to panic when they approached the car and he realized the balloon would not be his.

Despite his refusal to cooperate she got him buckled into his car seat and cranked the car, heading for home. Within a couple of minutes his sobs turned to sniffs and he spoke, "I don't want to go home, Abuela mia. Let us go back now to the store."

"I am sorry, lo siento, Bambino. We are going home because you had bad manners at Kmart, and we could not stay. We were going there to get some crayons and coloring books for you, do you remember? Te acuerdas?"

He nodded, then replied sadly, "I remember, recuerdo, Abuela."

"Because you did not stay with me, and because you did not behave, we will not get the crayons for you. This is what happens when you break rules."

Tony sniffed again and begged, "Lo siento, Abuela, I am sorry. Let us go back there and I won't cry any more and I will stay beside you. I will be good now."

"Yes, I know that you are sorry, but your behavior has stopped you from getting that treat. I will not take you back today. You had a chance already, Bambino."

The memory faded.

Tony's eyes slowly opened and he blinked and smiled at Maria. At three, he did not appreciate how strategically she had responded. She knew when to give and when to remain firm with him.

She also expected his good behavior, and reacted swiftly and decisively when Tony misbehaved.

Tony closed his eyes again.

In all of his years, he could not recall Maria ever giving him a real spanking. His dad had yanked him over his lap and blistered his bottom on occasion, but only rarely would she deliver a pop to his rear, and never more than two.

As a matter of fact, she had smacked him twice the year before when she visited him at Ohio State. He had thought he could avoid answering an embarrassing question and had replied to her disrespectfully.

She had enlightened him.

Tony shuddered, recalling the sting of that reprimand.

One family matter that served to chafe at him as a child and through adolescence lay in the unity between his dad and his abuela towards him. No matter what punishment one had imposed, the other backed and honored it without question. His attempts to solicit a reprieve from one or the other always ended with the reminder that an additional restriction loomed if he continued to try to pit one adult against another. They made a united, strong force.

Despite his displeasure with that unwritten pact, he appreciated what it taught him.

Tony eased his eyes open to check his grandmother, then closed them again after satisfying himself that she lay peacefully.

In the last year or so his leash had been loosened, so to speak, and they had, for the most part, allowed him to conduct himself as an adult. Winning that freedom had taken some hard work on his part as he proved he could attend college in Ohio and keep up his grades simultaneously. Obviously satisfied at his maturity, they stepped back, though still managed to intervene if they deemed it necessary.

Jethro may have been the sole parent and legally the custodian of his care, but Maria had ensured that she brought up a good man when she reared him.

Like the reality that his father balanced on the brink of forbidding his stay at the hospital, he still had to work to get his way. Though he railed at the fact that the two of them treated him like a minor at times, he secretly relied upon just that response, knowing that if he ever found himself in dire straights, his father and abuela would stand with him.

Tony couldn't resist a smirk at that last thought. With those two, they would stand behind him all right, but then would still dish out an unpleasant punishment for getting into trouble in the first place.

He settled into his chair again, wishing for the thousandth time that it had a more occupant friendly design.

Streaming sunlight warming his face woke him, along with the sound of quiet movement in the hospital room. He sat up with a start, trying hurriedly to get his bearings. A nurse stood by Abuela's bed, adjusting her respirator, and he glanced at the clock on the wall and read ten fifteen.

How in the world had he slept through dawn and the doctor's rounds?

He slid his chair away from the bed and stood up to check his grandmother. She remained unchanged, and he glanced at the nurse questioningly. The woman assured him she was there because she was just performing routine tests.

Tony rubbed his jaw thoughtfully, and pulled back his hand when he realized that his face held more stubble than just a four o'clock shadow. He needed to shave.

Stretching, he started towards the bathroom, but abruptly stopped. Through the window he could see that his father and Ducky stood right outside the door, and three doctors, as well. He hurried to the restroom and did his best to make himself presentable before rushing out to join them.


	9. Tie

Tie

Ducky smiled sadly when he opened the door, "There you are, young Anthony. We were just going over the latest medical information with Maria's primary physicians."

Tony smiled back, and quickly greeted the doctors with handshakes. Crossing his arms across his chest he finally made eye contact with Jethro, who returned the gaze with an evaluative look. Tony smiled at him in an attempt at reassurance.

A few minutes later the doctors left, after reiterating their belief that the longer Maria remained comatose, the more damage her body endured.

As soon as their figures disappeared down the hall, both older men turned to Tony.

"Lad," Ducky began, but Gibbs interrupted the doctor's forthcoming censure.

"Son, that's it," he ordered decisively, running a hand through his hair.

Tony didn't even have to ask his dad to elaborate- he knew what he meant.

"Dad, no, I got plenty of rest," he defended.

Ducky reached up and tapped under Tony's eye, "Anthony, you have begun to develop dark circles, besides a small beard."

"I slept, though," Tony insisted, trying to assuage them. "I slept very well, in fact."

Gibbs tersely pointed out the obvious, "Son, you are so physically exhausted that not once did you even stir when we came into the room, notice that we moved around the room, or reacted when teams of doctors and nurses moved around you checking Maria."

"Dad, let's not do this, ok?" he begged quietly, biting the inside of his lip. "Please, just drop it."

"Tony, I certainly…" Jethro began to respond, straightening his shoulders.

Ducky interjected, "Don't have this conversation right this second. Head down to the cafeteria and take care of necessity first. Anthony, you need to eat a good hot meal, and Jethro, you could use a fresh cup of coffee, I daresay."

Tony appeared ready to balk, so Ducky promised, "I will take your place at Maria's bedside. Go, both of you, and give me a chance to practice my medical skills on the living, for a change." He smiled encouragingly, and Tony finally grinned.

Jethro nodded affirmatively. "Ok, Duck, you're right. We'll head down."

He turned and walked slowly down the hall. Before following him, Tony looked beseechingly at Ducky, who advised softly, "You know he will stop at nothing to keep you protected. Try to see this from his perspective."

_Maria moved to the doorway and looked anxiously at her boy. Could she trust him to look after himself without her supervision? _

_Often he acted without thinking through the consequences. _

_Maria thought back to a time when he was around ten. They were visiting Jack, his grandfather, in Stillwater and Tony had spent the entire afternoon playing in his treehouse. Walking into the backyard she told him to come down and wash up for supper. He appeared at the entrance, then grinned, "Watch this exit, Abuela!" He leapt to a branch several feet away and when he grabbed it, a loud crack followed. Maria realized the limb had broken and that Tony would fall two stories to the ground. It never occurred to her to think about it- instead she did it, racing to catch him as he hurtled to the ground. The force of his body slamming into hers knocked them both over, but because she had cushioned him, he had not been seriously hurt. By another miracle, neither had she._

_Maria watched Tony's inner struggle as he made the decision to either obey or disobey his father._

Tony turned and followed his father, catching up to him at the elevator. They stayed quiet until they had made their food selections, Jethro had paid, and they actually sat in one of the cafeteria's hard plastic booths. Gibbs leaned his arms on the table, both hands around his coffee cup.

Tony realized how hungry he was when he sat down, and for a few minutes he didn't try to start a conversation. He rehearsed arguments in his mind to counter his dad's worries over his physical and emotional well being instead.

Finally, he leaned back in his seat and picked up his own cup of coffee and smiled at Gibbs. "Daddy, I know that you love me, and I definitely love you. So I understand that you think I am in trouble here, that I am doing too much."

"Anthony," Gibbs shook his head worriedly, "Enough is enough now."

Tony shifted in his seat and didn't answer at once. He drank a little of his coffee and then smiled shyly. "You know, most of the time when I hear you call me Anthony my heart actually skips a beat."

His father looked puzzled. "Why is that, Son?" He took a swallow of his own coffee and raised his eyebrows.

"You have a habit of calling me that right before you announce that you are going to spank me, or ground me, or take something away from me. That's your punishment name for me." He grinned.

"Okay," Gibbs responded, attempting to smile. He took another swallow of his coffee and sorted his thoughts. "Okay."

Tony's confusion increased. "Okay what, Dad? Are you about to punish me?"

"No, that is not what I want to say, Son."

"What then?" Tony looked quizzically at his father.

"I'm proud of you." Gibbs reached over and tapped Tony under his chin. "You need to look right at me."

Tony did. "Yes, sir."

"I said that I am proud of you," Jethro smiled, then turned loose of Tony's chin.

His son blinked and suddenly felt a surge of emotion. He turned his head and gained some control before he grinned back at his dad. Then he looked at his plate sadly, noting that he had eaten everything.

Jethro noticed the look, so took the sausages and eggs from his own plate and moved them to Tony's.

His son began eating again.

Jethro continued. "Ok, you have the lead now, Son. I will stay with you until this evening."

Tony set down his fork and having finished the coffee, took a swallow of his Coke. Setting it down, he started to speak, then regarded the beverage again with a flash of panic. "Dad, please don't tell Abuela I had a Coke at breakfast, ok?"

Jethro laughed out loud at that, cutting the tension. He seemed to relax.

Tony continued, clearly unsure of his dad's motives. "You are not going to make me go home, Dad? Is that what you mean?"

"Correct, I will support whatever you want to do- stay at the hospital, or go back to the house."

Tony blinked quickly, embarrassed that he suddenly felt teary eyed.

"You know that I will back you, Son."

Tony shook his head and brushed at his eyes. "Got it, Dad, and I don't know why I'm suddenly so emotional."

His father smiled sympathetically, "I think Ducky would say that it's a delayed reaction, and that you haven't let yourself grieve over Maria's condition."


	10. Combine

Combine

They sat in silence a couple of more minutes until finally Tony stretched his long legs out and slouched against the bench seat. "I have never known life without her in it, Dad."

"I know, Son." Jethro leaned over and pushed Tony's empty plate out of the way. "She is family."

There was no answer, and Gibbs waited a moment before he began to speak softly. "Did your abuela ever tell you about your potty training?"

"Dad!" Tony immediately ordered, "That's a family story and this is a public place. Don't tell that to anyone or you will embarrass me. It's bad enough that there is photographic evidence."

"Do you see anyone here witnessing this conversation?" Jethro raised his eyebrows and looked around the room.

"No," Tony gave him a small smile.

"Anyway, the point is that you loved yanking your diaper off to use the potty chair, because it gave you an excuse to run around the house naked."

"That's enough, Dad. Stop right there."

"No," Gibbs smirked, "So once the training was a success, the next hurdle was getting you to wear clothes. As fast as we'd get you dressed, you would undress yourself. It didn't bother you if we had visitors, or if anyone saw you." He smiled in memory, relaxing as he watched his son. "Maria finally hit upon the remedy by offering you activities you liked, like going to the park, or to the grocery store, and then when you begged to go, would say you couldn't go because you were a naked boy. That would do the trick, and you would insist that you wanted to be dressed."

Tony couldn't hide a grin at that. "What can I say?"

His father laughed, then suddenly got serious. "From the first time she ever picked you up and began to rock you, you…." Gibbs felt himself choke up and cleared his throat quickly.

Tony looked up in surprise. Rarely had he witnessed his dad fighting to control tears.

Gibbs rubbed the bridge of his nose and finished, "you reached up and started stroking and rubbing her hair. So that became your security blanket, so to speak. With Maria you would always play with her hair until you felt comforted."

"I know, Daddy." He regarded his father thoughtfully.

"Right, but the crazy thing was that with anyone else, they could pick you up and hold you- even rock you, but you would never do that to them- to me, even. It was something you practiced only with her. When you were the most upset, and she would take you, we would almost hold our breaths until you started caressing her hair, then we knew you would calm down soon."

Gibbs looked away a second and got himself back firmly in control. "So the funny thing is that I had not even realized how unbreakable- the strength, I mean, of that bond. I had underestimated. Then we visited you, at Ohio State and you were a junior. You slipped into her lap and immediately reached up to stroke her hair. I thought to myself, then, that God had known exactly what you needed when he sent your abuela to us."

Lorenzo's appearance interrupted them, and they hastily got up and cleared the table, trashing the remains on their way out the cafeteria door. The three men chatted about mundane topics as they made their way back to the ICU, where they joined Ducky and Tia.

Tony glanced his dad's way several times during the long afternoon, still not quite believing that his dad would suddenly turn loose the reins and allow him to stay at the hospital.

Jethro, however, kept his word and did not attempt to send his son home again. Privately he kept his own counsel, and his own worries to himself.

Maria and Tony were left alone around eight as Veronica, who had arrived mid afternoon, said her good byes.

Tony pulled a chair up to the bed and took Maria's hand, kissing it softly. "Su bebe se quedara con usted, your baby will stay with you."

He regarded the machines and tubes and medical equipment and sighed. Automatically he began to pray, and as he finished, realized that Maria had seen to it that he had a solid religious foundation. Actually, she had fostered two- his family's own Protestant view and her Catholic one. Tony felt as comfortable in Mass as he did in a Church service.

That fact highlighted just one more way Maria had seen to his character development.

The long, endless night seemed a carbon copy of the two nights before it. Tony dozed on and off while the medical personnel worked around him.

Maria's condition remained unchanged.

He woke as the sun began to stream through the window, and carefully got to his feet. One of the doctors tapped lightly at the door and then made his way into the room. The men exchanged greetings, and Tony headed to the bathroom while the doctor conducted his exam. When he emerged the doctor had moved to the nurse station in the center of the hall and was speaking with more medical personnel. He watched as they conversed, and as they looked towards Maria's room several times.

Tony leaned down and kissed Maria. "I love you, te amo, Abuela mia."

A few minutes later his father and Ducky appeared.

Gibbs didn't say anything, but beckoned Tony over to him. His son moved quickly, dissolving into his father as Gibbs clutched him to him with one hand, and began rubbing Tony's back soothingly with the other. Tony buried his head in Jethro's shoulder and stood quietly.

Ducky picked up the chart at the foot of the bed and read it thoughtfully. Turning finally to Gibbs, he raised his eyebrows questioningly. Gibbs shook his head slightly as a signal for Ducky to wait to speak.

"Hey," Gibbs pushed Tony away from him and then popped him on his bottom. "Look up."

"Owww…." Tony put a hand protectively over his rear and looked up in confusion. "What was that for?"

"I want you to head downstairs and get some breakfast," Gibbs improvised.

"Dad, you didn't have to smack me to tell me that."

"True, but it did get your attention." His father smirked, then pushed Tony towards the door. "Do you have some of the money left that I gave you?"

Tony grinned, alert to the fact that he could pocket more cash to add to the stash in his wallet. "You probably want to give me some more cash, my handsome parent."

Gibbs looked at him appraisingly. "No, I am certain that you still have money left. Get down and eat, and bring me a cup of coffee when you come back."

"Ok," Tony left without arguing and Gibbs sighed in relief, glad that he had gotten him out of the room.

"Duck, let's step out."

The two men walked into the hall and Dr. Mallard updated him, after first patting him sympathetically. "Jethro, it's not good. She is actually worse off than when she was brought here. You really need to get the lad prepared to say good bye."


	11. Link

Link

Sucker punched- that defined Jethro's immediate reaction. He'd been sucker punched, and his child was going to get the sucker punch to beat all sucker punches and he could not stop it from happening. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and tried to think rationally.

"The medical team plans to return this afternoon to perform some final tests, but it does not look promising."

"Ok," Gibbs clenched his jaw and answered, trying to wrap his head around a future without Maria. "Let Tony have a few more hours, though, until then, without knowing. This afternoon will be soon enough to break his heart."

"I know, Jethro," Ducky said simply, putting a hand onto his friend's arm.

"This will devastate him, I hope you know that," Gibbs turned an accusing glance at his friend.

"It will, and I know that you don't want to lose her either. The reality, though, is that there is nothing left to be done. She is just not responding. Maybe she does not want to respond, Jethro. Maybe we simply need to let her go."

Gibbs ground out, "I know that, Duck!"

Ducky set up a meeting with Maria's doctors for late that afternoon, scheduling the conference so that they could join Tia's family.

Tony talked on and off to his grandmother for most of the day, bringing up childhood activities and incidents and reassuring her of his love. Gibbs watched him from his own chair, thinking that his son reminded him of a lamb to the slaughter.

_Maria wanted to tell them good bye. The time had come, and the light beckoned her. She knew what it meant, that she would cross to the other side and join family and friends lost long ago as she took her place in Heaven. Her sight swept the room and then rested on her boy. She loved him, but she would still leave him._

All of the others seemed to realize that a change had occurred, and that Maria had slipped from them. No one said anything out loud though, because of Tony.

Five o'clock brought a summons to join the medical team in the conference area. The family members got up obediently, all except Tony, who looked around in confusion. "Why do they want to meet with us? What is happening?"

No one responded but his dad motioned to him to come with them. He kissed his grandmother quickly and followed the group to the private meeting area, finding that a chair had been saved for him between his dad and his aunt. He looked around suspiciously.

The doctors began to speak, and Ducky joined them, translating the medical jargon to terms they could grasp more easily and better understand. Tony sat rigidly as the words slammed into him from every direction in that suffocating little room. Time stood still, and he felt surreal, almost as though he were actually witnessing this happen to another twenty two year old college graduate who teetered between possessing a grandmother he could physically touch, and one he could only remember.

After an eternity the room became eerily quiet, the only sound the tick of the wall clock. The doctors looked at the assembled family members with compassion, then said their good byes. When the door closed Ducky made his way to the other side of Tia, then leaned against the table so that he could face Tony. Gibbs and Tia turned in their chairs as well so that they could focus their attention upon him. Gibbs put a hand on Tony's leg, and Tia brushed back his hair.

Ducky patted his arm. "Lad, do you understand what this means?"

"I do," Tony replied softly, looking up to meet Ducky's gaze. "Tomorrow we will discontinue respiratory and other support, and if Abuela does not respond on her own, she will be allowed to die. That is the humane road, and we all have agreed to that decision. I have agreed personally because Abuela has taught me to show compassion."

"Right," Ducky confirmed. "There is a slight chance that she will do just that. However…."

"However," Tony interrupted, "the doctors find that improbable. So the point is that we need to say our goodbyes." He clenched his jaw, then reached up and wiped his eyes.

A second later he straightened his shoulders and beckoned to bring Tia towards him. He kissed her cheek softly and murmured, "Ah, Tia, su corazon es huirting, your heart is hurting."

Then he stood up and smiled down at his father. "Daddy, do not worry about me. I will go now to stay with my grandmother."

With that, he left the room. The others looked questioningly at each other, confused.

Lorenzo spoke first, his concern evident. "Does he understand?"

Veronica shook her head, "I think maybe he is unaware of the end."

"No," Jethro contradicted, speaking firmly. "He heard everything. He now wants to spend his time with her these last hours."

Ducky looked quizzically at his friend. "Do you think Anthony is strong enough to handle this?"

Jethro gave him a small grin in reply, his voice catching, "Yes, yes he is strong enough. She has taught him how to rise to the challenge."

An hour later Ducky, Jethro, and Tony made their way to the cafeteria for supper, leaving Tia and her children to stay with Maria.

The conversation never started, with all three men lost in their own inner worlds of pain. They ate slowly, not really interested in the food in front of them, but grateful that something in the day was completely usual and expected.

By nine o'clock, Tony sat alone with his grandmother. They had left him reluctantly, promising to come very early the next morning. Jethro had proved the hardest to convince that he did not want company, as expected.

Tony finally succeeded by leaning up and kissing his father on the cheek. "Dad, please let me have this time to myself. I have twenty two years of love that I want to make sure Abuela remembers and takes with her."

_Maria put her hands over her heart. That love already lived right there, right in the centre of her being. _

Gibbs nodded but didn't speak, afraid for his boy yet so very proud of his son. He hugged Tony to him and brushed back his hair, then gently kissed him on the forehead before he, too, walked out of the door.


	12. Unite

Unite

The difference in this night and the previous ones lay in the awareness that tomorrow would bring about a surrendering. The medical professionals who came through all night regarded him with sympathy, their compassion evident in their movements around him.

Tony, for his part, pushed the reality of the situation into a back compartment of his mind. He pulled his chair up and sat carefully, grabbing his abuela's hand and clasping it.

"I will make you smile, now my grandmamma, in your heart, because you bring so much joy to me." he announced.

Tony began to relate one incident and memory after another, his voice both passionate and soothing as it described snapshots of the two of them which had played out over the years. A couple of times he stopped to get himself under control, emotionally, but for most of the ensuing hours, he spoke without a break.

He fought to stay awake, determined that he convey to his abuela how much she meant to him. Refusing to leave the room, he skipped the cafeteria's offerings and settled for the water from the pitcher on her bedside table.

Squaring his shoulders, he kissed her hand and promised that he would not turn her loose and let her go until she left him.

_The sky opened again with a burst of colour and she turned. Her parents waited there, both looking the way they had looked the last time she had seen them. She moved towards them but abruptly stopped and turned back. _

_Turning back to them she spoke softly, "What will my Baby do?"_

_Her father answered, "What will you do for your baby, Maria?"_

"_This is your eternity," her mother smiled, and used both hands to blow a kiss to her. She motioned her forward._

He fell asleep at some point, despite fighting to remain awake and talking to Maria. Some time later he sat up in shock and looked around him. The sun peeped over the horizon.

Terror filled him then, realizing that this new day brought Maria's last day within its dawning.

Tony knelt down by the bed and prayed, repeating prayers she had taught him. A few minutes later he stood and smiled down at his grandmother. Then kicking off his shoes, he crawled onto the bed beside her, gently repositioning the tubes and monitors so that he could gather her in his arms. His back to the bedrail, he desperately held her as he witnessed the dawn break over the town.

Watching the sun stream through, he reached up and softly began rubbing her hair, speaking urgently to her, "Abuela, please come to me now. Your baby is here. Llegado a su bambino. I need you please, por favor, Abuela. It is your Antonio, it is your Bambino, and I want you to come back to me. Te Quiero a ti. I need you."

_Maria looked from the light to the hospital room. Suddenly she felt a hand, soft, gentle, and familiar, stroking her hair, rubbing it softly._

He continued to caress her hair, and when his eyes began to fill, he hastily rubbed his face on her nightgown, an action he had repeated countless times over the years when he was upset.

"Abuela, don't leave me! Please, I need you with me. Who will take care of me? Who will love me and watch over me like you do? Who will hold my own little boy or my own little girl the way that you have held me? Who will tell them stories, and will be waiting as they run and call for their grandmother? Quien hara que? Who will rock them?"

Though he tried his best to stop them, the tears began to fall, slowly at first, then in rapid succession. Tony bit the side of his lip, "Abuela! I need you! Tu bambino te necesita! Your Antonio needs you, and I love you, Abuela."

He gently laid his head over her heart, and caressed her hair softly.

When Jethro, Ducky, and Tia arrived together that morning they all stopped abruptly when they saw Tony snuggled against his grandmother, his hand tangled in her hair.

That sight nearly undid Ducky, who pulled off his glasses to wipe on his sleeve and whispered, "Oh my, now, I have seen her hold the lad…."

Tia started to cry softly, "What will her baby do with her not here? What will we do without her?"

Gibbs leaned against the door for support and the chance to pull himself together before he entered the room. The picture of his boy, his baby, and his unrestrained love for his grandmother just broke his heart.

He could do nothing to make any of it better.

He didn't respond to either of the other two, but motioned instead. "It is time to go in now."

Squaring his shoulders, he led them in, and immediately he crossed to the bed and leaned down to kiss his son. "Anthony, wake up now."

Tony stirred and shifted, but did not wake. Gibbs tried again, speaking a little louder and a little more urgently. "Tony, it's time to get up, Son. Wake up now."

This time the shifting came as Maria brought her hand up from the bed to lay it across Tony's cheek. She whispered hoarsely as she slowly opened her eyes, "Why is my Bambino upset?"

Before anyone could react she slid a bit further, and then covered the hand Tony had entangled in her hair with her own hand. "Antonio, bebe, why did you need me? Por que me necesitan? Why have you cried?"

The other three stared incredulously, too stunned at the moment to take in the turn of events or to properly process the sight before them.

Maria leaned over to kiss Tony's cheek and responded, her voice weak but clear. "Here I am, Bambino, Abuela is here with you. Look at me. Me miran."

At the sound of her voice he began to wake then, slowly. When his eyes opened fully they focused immediately upon his grandmother. He took in the scene and began to sit up, then automatically puffed out his lip into a pout and murmured quietly, "I thought you were leaving me, Abuela mia. I got scared."

He began stroking her hair, and she brushed his bangs back.

"Never," she responded softly, "never would I leave my Bambino."


End file.
